Yesterday I was awakened by a fellow from the City of West Melbourne, FL. He is the Deputy City Manager assigned to assist the new City Manager of West Melbourne, Florida. I became his first assignment – such a lucky fellow! He has been present at the City Council meetings so he already knew a bit of the history but I gave him another earful. I refuse to allow all of the mis-statements and inaccuracies continue unchallenged. Anyway yesterday was the start of the job for our new City Manager – the previous one has been let go of course. (Not only because of me!) Supposedly the City of West Melbourne, Florida wants to get this job finished although FPL has yet to set the meter in the one panel box. They wanted to know if I would accept a test of the system on Monday using a generator. I told the fellow go ahead – maybe we will get lucky and it fails and blows itself apart. I am tired of the mess at this point but not the fight.

Late yesterday afternoon I received a phone call from our new City Manager himself. Seems I was the project that he got greeted with to start his job – of course, along with all the other messes he was left. He’ll be using the inheritance theme for awhile I am sure! I welcomed him to West Melbourne, Florida and he felt obligated to apologize to me on behalf of the city. He wanted me to understand he cannot change what has been done but wants to finish the job and at least give me back some semblance of a front yard. After that we will need to talk obviously. I went through what was in the past and explained to him that the missteps, inaccurate comments, and lack of honesty are all symptomatic of a bigger problem. With my construction background I could speak to the poor management and even misuse of trust and funds on this job. Every time a task needs to be redrawn, or redone, it costs more money. Wrong in this recession/depression. This is not being good stewards of the public trust! More importantly I warned him that employees who were responsible for managing this project didn’t do their job properly and were being disingenuous at best. That signals they will not be his best friends or good employees – beware! He laughed and said he was glad someone in the city was aware of that and would continue to remember that as projects are enacted in town. All in all, I will be honest and say I do not feel this new fellow is ‘out to get me’ – and I suspect he will be as fair as possible in finishing the job. At least he had the courtesy and class to apologize on behalf of the city for previous behavior – and that goes a long way in my estimation! Bottom line is that my home values are and will be down-valued. Some degree of landscaping will help but not change that fact. I still believe the City of West Melbourne, Florida owes me for that – and I do not owe anyone else because it is good for them. They don’t pay my bills and they will not give me a pension to make up for lost equity in my home. And that is one fight I will not back away from – hang it on principles – if something is right based on legal technicalities, that does not guarantee it is ethically or morally right. Would you want it done to you or someone you care about? Then don’t expect me to accept it either – I do not owe it to anyone!